In-demand professions

What's hot in Hub City area not necessarily so elsewhere

What's hot in Hub City area not necessarily so elsewhere

December 13, 2007|By Emily Arthur-Richardt, earthur@aberdeennews.com

As Coralea Wolter held on tightly to the black lab trying to squirm out of her arms, her fellow veterinarian technician, Janet Wright, worked at clipping the puppy's toe nails. "Almost done," Wolter quietly muttered into the puppy's ear as they finished up. "That wasn't so bad." Wolter and Wright work at Animal Health Clinic in Aberdeen. While the two women are part of a relatively small staff there, they also make up a portion of the approximately 70,000 veterinarian technicians nationwide - although that number might be increasing. According to a recent study done by the U.S. Department of Labor, Wolter and Wright's profession is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. By 2016, experts predict there will be 100,000 veterinarian technicians in the United States - a 41 percent increase, which puts the occupation at No. 5 on the hottest jobs list. No. 1 on the list is network systems and data communica- tions. But while the fastest growing occupations in the nation center on computers, the service industry and health care, the story is a bit different in South Dakota - and especially in Aberdeen. Social assistance and ambulatory health care service jobs are the fastest growing in the state, according to the Labor Market Information Center, which is run by the South Dakota Department of Labor. But labor-oriented industries, such as repair and maintenance, and warehousing and storage rank high. In Aberdeen, the job growth is influenced by the businesses moving in, officials said. More than 1,000 jobs, mainly having to deal with manufacturing and beef processing, are expected in Aberdeen over the next few years. Dan Thielsen, manager of the Aberdeen Career Center, said the new industries will have a lot to do with how fast various industries grow in this area. "We're going to have some growth here with all the growth coming in," Thielsen said. "We'll see those new businesses dictate what jobs grow the most." Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen expects the construction industry to grow as well. "Any job connected to commercial or residential construction will probably see a difference," he said. "If we are going to grow in people, we're going to have to have places for them to live. I think the construction trades are really going to be a big ticket item." Levsen also pointed to other areas that could be affected by an influx of people. "If we add people, obviously we're going to need more retail," he said. "The other area where there'll be a huge need is law enforcement and security. We're already short there." And while most of Aberdeen's opportunities don't line up with what national statistics are showing, Thielsen said there's one area that always will. "The health industry is huge," he said. "It's just because of the age of the population. This is an aging nation." Reporter Emily Arthur-Richardt; (605) 622-2314 or 1-800-925-4100 ext. 314. U.S. job growth: 2006 to 2016